SCHOTT’S iQTM Platform

More than 600 production lines in 13 countries worldwide produce more than 10 billion syringes, vials, ampoules, cartridges, and special articles of tubing glass or polymer. SCHOTT has more than 130 years of outstanding materials and technology expertise.

iQ™: The Global RTU Standard

Ready-to-use (RTU) filling concepts enable pharma manufacturers to fill syringes, vials, or cartridges in a flexible manner. However, currently available solutions from packaging suppliers require drug manufacturers to fit the filling machines to the specific tub format. This means that the machine needs to be optimised each time to fit the individual products. It also means doing the same work multiple times. With its new iQ platform, SCHOTT addresses this particular issue by standardising ready-to-use syringes, vials, and cartridges within a single tub format to run on the same filling line. By standardising this part of the process, less changing of machine parts is necessary when switching from one container to another as vials, syringes, and cartridges all come in the same tub. Consequently, pharma manufacturers can fill various drug/container configurations on the same filling line with only very short changeover times in between. The development of iQ is based on the proven nest-and-tub format of RTU syringes, which has been used by the pharma industry to fill syringes for decades. Thus, the concept boosts the advantages of RTU filling concepts.

Over the next five years it is anticipated that there is going to be an explosion in the numbers of biosimilar products coming to market as patents expire. Consequently, in line with regulatory guidance, there will be a commensurate need to provide full characterisation of such biopharmaceuticals. The purpose of this article is to describe the array of the more common techniques used in biopharmaceutical characterisation (typically of protein or polypeptide). For full characterisation of a protein, the proteinï¿½s primary, secondary and tertiary structure as well as its physiochemical properties should be assessed. More info >>

Following
on from our largest and most engaging meeting to date, Clinical Trial Supply
Europe will be returning to Milan for its 20th year in 2019!
The
19th annual edition welcomed pharmaceutical companies across Europe who got
together to share knowledge and issues regarding clinical trial supplies, both
with regards to operational and technological challenges. Over the two days,
delegates discussed issues which affected their business in our dedicated
operational and technological streams.More info >>